Omaha Hi-Low: Fundamental Outline
Posted in Omaha on 01/31/2016 12:21 pm by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of betting choices and because you have several individuals shooting for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.